


A Family Reunited

by KnightOfBalance



Series: Mordred And Arturia [2]
Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: Familial Troubles, Family, Fluff, Forgiveness, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2021-01-04 09:07:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21195149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KnightOfBalance/pseuds/KnightOfBalance
Summary: Family was a...complicated matter for Mordred. Her mother was the worst person she knew and her father, in addition to being a woman, hated her guts. And now she has to deal with three of her former comrades suddenly being her supposed siblings.





	A Family Reunited

Agravain of the Cold Iron, the Interrogator of The Round Table, Assassin of Morgan.

The titles given to him by both comrade and history painted a fairly accurate picture of the black armored knight. He was cruel, cold and callous making him an effective servant to his king but despised among his fellow knights. He cared very little for what they thought of him though, as his job was a necessary one for the kingdom. Even among Chaldea, his talents were valued.

...However, the image of a cold, unfeeling knight was not all he was.

Unbeknownst to many, Agravain loved his family. He took pride in his older brother's prestige as a one of the best swordsmen of the Round Table. Despite his discomfort around women, he still looked after and protected his younger sister Gareth. He took the twin Garehis under his wing and taught him about swordsmanship and chivalry. Hell, even though he loathed her for her treachery and wicked deeds, Agravain couldn't deny that he still held a soft spot for his mother.

And it was this love for his family that he stood before her, Mordred the Knight Of Treachery. A mere day after he had been summoned to the preservers of the human order, Agravain had approached Mordred outside the training room for a talk.

“Make it quick.” She answered, shooting him a wary glare. Understandable, considering his position among the knights and her past actions. He suspected the only reason she was even giving him a chance was from his actions in their past.

Still...

“Don't be so uptight.” Agravain chided, trying his best to sound as nonthreatening as possible, “If I had planned on killing you, I would have done so in your sleep. Most certainly not near such a public place.”

“You'd be surprised.” Mordred shot back, refusing to lower her guard.

With an exhausted sigh, the interrogator decided to cut any pretense and quickly strike at the matter before she fled. “I know about your lineage.”

Mordred snorted with an exaggerated eye roll. “Yeah no shit. Everyone knows I'm Father's child. Kind of hard to keep under wraps even for her. If that's all you have to say then I have places to-”

“I know who your mother is, child of Morgan.” Agravain clarified.

Mordred stopped in her tracks, glaring at him with cold eyes and gripping her stolen sword as tensed and wound. “And what, exactly, does that mean to you?”

“Worry not, Mordred,” He comforted, “In truth, I had suspected who had raised you ever since you joined the Round Table.”

Her eyes narrowed at him in disbelief. “Really?”

“Yes. Morgan is a devious one, not to mention persistent and meticulous. But she does have a bad habit of underestimating her enemies. She truly never thought that recommending a knight who had never been heard of before to the Round Table wasn't suspicious.” He explained.

“Tch,” Mordred grunted, “So you know about that, What are you gonna do now, mock me? Torture me for info? Punish me for being Mother's pawn? Well, spill it!”

“If you must know, I wish to make amends.”

The saber's face went blank, her grip loosened from her blade and her eyes simply staring at him. “... What?”

“I suspected the identity of your mother but in life, I never acted on it. I was not quite sure of your identity and, considering your loyalty to the king seemed to rival my own, I never thought it necessary to act.” Agravain looked down at the ground with a look of shame, “But then, after I had died, your rebellion happened. Spurred by your rejection of the throne, with no true allegiance to the Round Table, you rebelled against the king and caused the fall of Camelot.”

“Okay but exactly does this have to do with making amends?” She demanded.

“Because in truth, you were not the first one Morgan sent to kill the king,” he informed, the shame on his face growing, “your mother, _our _mother, sent me to kill the King so that she may ascend to the throne in her place.”

“Wait, 'our' mother?” Mordred questioned.

“But I rejected her place, seeing that the king was far more suited to rule,” He continued, “But in truth, if it weren't for the presence of our brother Gawain, I do not know if I could have truly understood that. Seeing him pledge his loyalty so deeply to the king informed me that Morgan was wrong.” He looked back up at her with a rare look of empathy, “You did not have that. Though you were among us and fought alongside us, you lacked the familial bond that enlightened me. That was my fault, I never truly reached out to you despite suspecting you were raised alone by that monster. And thus, when the king rejected you, you had no one to enlighten you. No one to turn to. I wish to fix that. I wish to do what I did not in life, and act as the family I should have.”

Agravain extended his hand out to her, “I ask of you, will you allow me to be your family?”

“...” Mordred stood in silence, clearly trying to process what she had heard. Suddenly, it clicked, she blushed bright red and roared, “O-o-of course not, you freak!” before dashing off in embarrassment., leaving a stone faced Agravain.

“Well, that was to be expected.”

_ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX** _

“Then the bastard says 'oh let's be a family'! Can you believe him?”

Henry Jekyll droned out, “No way” as he scoops up a forkful of mashed potatoes and ate them. Though he was tired from the days of work with Master, he had to give it to the cooking crew, even something as simple as this came out magnificently.

“Hey, could you at least pretend to care?” Mordred barked angrily, giving Jekyll a small throb in his brain and the stares of a few eating around them in the cafeteria.

“Mordred, I'll be honest with you.” Jekyll stated, looking at her firmly, “I get freaking out about it in the moment, especially coming from Agravain of all people. But, you've had about three days to think about this. Surely you can see the benefits.”

“Benefits? What benefits?”

“Well, for one, it's not like you have an overabundance of friends,” Jekyll listed, “Aside from me and Fran, who else is there? You refuse to take Mash's invitations and you're not exactly the most approachable person in Chaldea. It would do you some good to be around more people, considering you spend most days either in your room or training.”

Mordred huffed, “We're not talking about friends here. He wants to pretend being a family!”

“That's my other point: I doubt he IS pretending,” He countered, “From what you've told me and what I know, Agravain really DID look after you at the Round Table. And as he said, if he wanted to kill you then he would have done so in private. Not to mention that by mentioning he knows you're related to..._**her**_, that just gives you another reason to suspect him. Not to mention he WAS in your position once. I don't see any reason for him to lie.”

The armored woman gritted her teeth in frustration, “Well, what about the other two in that little trio? You think Prince Loyal and Lancelot's Fangirl would accept me with open arms?”

“Sure would!”

“GAH!”

In a sudden moment, a honey haired girl wrapped her arms around Mordred from behind and said knight leaped straight out of her seat, over the table and landing on the other side next to Jekyll. The culprit, Gareth, giggled at her flustered face. “Are you really that scared of little ol' me?”

“Oh shut your yap!” Mordred growled, “Who do you think you are, touching me out of nowhere?”

“Come on, surprise huggings the basis of being an older sibling,” Gareth laughed merrily, “Big brother Gawain does it all the time!”

“Older sibling?” She repeated in disbelief before growing fierce again, “So that cowardly lizard of a knight sent you to persuade me?”

“Hey, don't talk about our brother that way,” Gareth chided, lacking her brother's effectiveness through her rosy cheeks and cute puff, “I know he can be a bit awkward but he just wants what's best for you. And I do too.”

“What's best for me?” The blonde snorted, “You don't even know me!”

“That's true. I don't know you very well,” Gareth's face switched from a quick serious one to her signature smile, “But that doesn't mean I can't care for you. I'm not that close to Brother Agravain either but I care about him and I know he l cares me too. Even if we aren't close, family cares about one another.”

Mordred grimaced and Jekyll swore he heard her mumble something about 'Mother', “Even if that were true, what about that OTHER big brother of yours?” She jabbed at Gawain across the massive cafeteria, talking to Mash and Sieg, “I don't think he's ready to forgive what I've done and I doubt the two of you are either!”

“That's not true!” Gareth assured, “I know Gawain is a bit...upset about what happened but I know he'll do the right thing. Agravain doesn't think you're at fault for what happened and...You wouldn't be the worst person I've forgiven.”

“Well, don't mind if I call bullshit on that! Who in hell could be worse than me, the one who rebelled and killed your precious king? That Lancelot you look up to?” Mordred shot at her.

“Mother.” The lancer stated, making the other woman flinch at the mention as her expression turned somber, “What Mother did to the people, to the king, to our family...it's horrible. I can't deny what she did was horrible. But there's nothing more I want in this world than for her to come back, for us to be together again,” Her eyes began to water and her voice began to shake, “I would forgive her and welcome her back home because I couldn't bear to lose her. I couldn't bear to lose Brother Agravain. And I can't bear to lose you either. That's not how family is. Please, just let us be there for you.”

Mordred gritted her teeth again, glaring at the one across from her and looking ready to scream.

“You. Are. Not. My. Family.” She stated simply, stomping off despite Gareth's protests. The remaining knight stood in solemn sadness, trying her best not to cry.

“Why? What did we do wrong?” She muttered, “Was it really so bad we never reached out to her?”

Jekyll looked at her, feeling his own heart break at his misery. “*Sigh*, if you truly wish to be her family, I'm afraid you'll need to become better accquinted with how she functions.”

Gareth twitched her head at him, “Huh?”

“I've seen that face before, back when she was first summoned here.” He went on, poking his now cold food, “It was after Arturia ignored her for the first time. She went on and on about how she didn't need her father and how she was better off without him. But as I know so well, none of that is true.” He stood up, plate and utensils in hand, looking at Gareth, “She's not angry. She's hurt, trying to mask the pain by looking tough and pushing it away.”

“Hurt?” Gareth inquired.

“As I know it, Arturia's rejection and subsequent coldness has left a deep wound on her. As for Morgan...I could never even get an indirect answer as to what life was like with her mother. No answer except one time, when Master equated me to a mom, where she said 'Mothers don't care about their kids'” Gareth gasped a little at his statement, something he felt in common with her, “If I had to guess, family has become a painful topic for her and, like always, she's trying to push away what she can't simply beat. While I agree that it would be for the best that she connect with all of you, I fear she may continue to reject out of a fear of being hurt again.”

With that solemn observation, Jekyll walked off while Gareth stood in place, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes.

_ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX** _

A couple of days later, Mordred barged into one of the training rooms, threw out the staff inside and proceeded to ferociously shred the training dummies to pieces.

_Slash! _ Went the sword.

_Bam! _ Went her fist.

_Crack! _ Went the dummy, falling to pieces on the floor as she moved onto the next, her mind preoccupied by other matters.

_'Family? Bah, who do they think they are?!' _ Mordred thought to herself as she went through her routine,  _'So what if I don't have anyone but Mother and Father to call family? So what if Jekyll and Fran are usually occupied with something else? So what if I'm alone most of the time? I'm the Knight of Treachery! I was alone before! I've always been alone! I don't need something like-'_

“_**You are not worthy of the throne.”**_

_'Like...'_

“_**The poison seemed to have been effective in disabling the homonculus and causing a great deal of pain. But in the end, the poison lacked the potency necessary to be fatal. I should adjust the mixture to compensate for Arturia's stronger body...” **_

_'Like-!'_

'GRRRAAAAH!” Mordred roared in frustration, discarding Clarent and tackling the dummy to the ground, punching and tearing at it in a savage rage that would have probably gone on for hours if not for someone else entering the room.

“Gh!” She grunted and stumbled back on to her feet as the door closed behind one of the five people she didn't want to see at the moment.

“You sure are...enthusiastic about your training.” Said Gawain, the only other Orkeny sibling she hadn't yet talked to.

Mordred growled, her temper already straining to be contained at the moment. “If you're here to try and recruit me into that cult of a family then do us both a favor and leave me the hell alone.”

“Hm,” Gawain looked her in the eye, undaunted. “In truth, I couldn't care less about you being related to us if not for the insistence by both Agravain and Gareth. After all, the sins you have committed against the king are befitting only an evil person such as yourself.”

“So, why the hell haven't you left-”

“At least, that is what I would have said days ago,” He continued, “But when I mentioned such a thing in front of Master, he said to me 'Maybe you should learn a little more about Mordred.'”

Mordred kept quiet, unsure of what to do as Gawain spoke, “And so I sought out a few people. He pointed me to Mash, who introduced me to the young man Sieg, who brought in the rider Astolfo while Dr. Jekyll stepped forward and I even managed to contact that witch Semiramis. And are you aware of what I learned from them?” Before she could interject, Gawain continued, “You helped save the world multiple times, even if for your own benefit at least once. You never involved the innocent in your battles. You protected not just the Master but also Mash and even the Monster of Frankenstein. You taught and mentored Mash, which allowed her to protect our Master even further. And even when you had the chance to betray your previous Master, you choose to stay by his side even though it meant your end.”

The former traitor's mood softened, confusion gripping her just as he stepped forward, “But what I found most illuminating of all was what Dr. Jekyll told me. He told me what you said about Mother, how she never cared for you.”

_'I'm going to give that bastard the beating of a lifetime!' _ Mordred growled in her head. “And? What does this all mean for you and me?”

Gawain faltered, speechless for a minute before taking a deep breath and continuing, “From all my adventures, both as a knight and as a Servant, I have learned but one thing. That despite what I may feel at the moment, I must learn to think before acting. My recklessness and hotheadness costed Camelot and myself more than once. And after thinking about what I have learned and what my siblings have tried, I understand now that I was wrong about you.”

“You are not evil, like I had thought. While the actions you have committed are indeed grave, you did not do so out of malice and without influence.” He stepped forward again, now reaching out and placing his hand on her head. Before she could pull away, Mordred was pulled into his arms, wrapped gently around her as though comforting her. “Just like the Green Knight, you were but one more of Morgan....Mother's victims. A victim of her rage and her hatred for the king, twisted long before you came to the Round Table. As well, I do not believe you were malicious on betraying the king. Rather, much like myself, you were most likely hurt and without anyone to turn to.”

“But no more.” He tightened his hug around her despite her feeble resistance, “Whether you want us or not, we will be there for you. Not because we pity you. Not because we wish to hurt you. But because we failed you in the past and wish to ensure we will not now.”

He fell silent, waiting for her retort. They stayed like that in the wrecked room for a few minutes before a light sobbing was heard. Mordred, the fierce Knight of Treachery, cried in the arms of the brother she had once killed and betrayed, unable to fight the feelings welling inside her. She didn't want to be alone. She wanted to belong to a family, something she never had in life.

And now, with even her most persistent hater now welcoming her, she couldn't keep up her facade and deep in her heart, accepted them.

_ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX** _

Within the hour, Gawain guided Mordred back to his room, where both Gareth and Agravain waited. The two of them looked at the younger knight then back to their eldest sibling. With a nod, the two of them closed around Mordred and embraced her as the eldest placed his hand on her head.

Mordred closed her eyes, allowing this to happen with only this to say:

“Thank you.”

_ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX** _

**A/N: Just so everyone knows, second quote from the Gawain section is from another fanfic of mine, Past Of Mordred, Knight or Treachery. Kind of hard to write about Mordred's past when half of it is a complete mystery. You don't need to read the fanfic to understand it (I hope) but if you want context, read that. **


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